NEW DELHI, India, April 29, Reuter: Severe water shortages and a dispute over supplies left large parts of the Indian capital dry on Friday as temperatures soared.
With the mercury hovering around 40 degrees centigrade, Delhi authorities warned the situation might not improve for days.
Water shortages and power cuts are a typical part of the summer scene in Delhi but the failure of monsoon rains last year has made the situation much worse.
The latest crisis was sparked by a sharp drop in water levels in the Yamuna River, running through Delhi, which halted all pumping at a major water treatment plant.
Most of Delhi’s water supplies come from neighbouring Haryana and Uttar Pradesh states but opposition ruled Haryana has accused the capital of taking too big a share.
The Press Trust of India reported Haryana had agreed on Thursday to an emergency request to release more water from reservoirs in the State.
But State irrigation and power minister Virender Singh said: “We will not allow any robbery of our water share”.
He said Delhi had been drawing more than twice its agreed share of water supplies while Haryana was unable to maintain supplies to its own people.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 6, 1988
